Cinema: Lone Star Rising

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Despite his talent for writing, Wilson, who's shooting I Spy with Eddie Murphy, says, "it's more fun to go act than to hole up for a couple of months and try to write something. That's a lot scarier." But the writer in Wilson never stays dormant for long. Before shooting Behind Enemy Lines, Wilson transformed his character on the page from a swaggering pilot to a misguided navigator who has to outwit some Serbian bad guys after being shot down. "It kinda helped me make it more believable for myself," says Wilson. "I don't see myself being a straight-out action hero."

Whether studios can believe in Wilson as any kind of leading man--he'd like to branch out into dramas and romantic comedies--depends largely on the success of Behind Enemy Lines. So far, it looks promising. The film had such rousing response from test audiences that Fox, which had originally scheduled the movie for next year, is rushing it into theaters. First-time feature director John Moore and the studio initially questioned Wilson's ability to carry an action film, but Hackman--a fan since seeing him in Shanghai Noon--lobbied on Wilson's behalf. "I thought he could bring something unconventional to our scenes working off each other," says Hackman, who plays a tough-love naval commander.

While shooting Wilson's close-ups, Moore asked Hackman to scream his lines loudly at the younger actor. "It was to get a reaction from me," says Wilson, "but I almost started to smile because I was like, 'Wow, that's the voice Hackman uses when he gets mad that I've heard so much.' So it didn't get the intended effect." In the end, though, Wilson acquits himself nicely, making good use of his ability to wink at the audience without appearing self-conscious. "You have got to be s_____ing me!" he hollers after an elaborate, aborted rescue attempt. It's a cry of agony, but with Wilson's expertly put-upon delivery, it's also funny. In that moment he admits the movie's implausibility and captures the heart of the audience. Forget the nose, if you can. He's got legs.